The invention relates to a molding trim, and more particularly to a rub rail for boats and ships, such as sailboats, which includes a decorative insert disposed in a recess of a molding trim so that an outer top portion of the insert is engaged under longitudinally extending, laterally spaced apart free end portions at an uppermost top part of the molding trim to partially surround the insert and enclose the insert within the recess of the molding trim to protect the insert, the molding trim being fabricated from an extruded rigid plastic material, and the insert being fabricated from an extruded flexible plastic material. The insert includes an upper strip-like portion of clear transparent material encapsulating a metalic-like strip therein to provide a metal appearance to the insert, preferably the metalic-like strip is fabricated from mylar, metal foils and the like.
Rub rails are well known in the boat and ship prior art, where the rub rails are usually provided along the outside upper edge of the hull from and around the bow to the stern, including extending around the transom. Thus, the rub rail functions to protect the hull when the boat or ship bumps against an object outside of the boat or the ship, such as the sides of a wharf when the boat or ship is docking.
Rub rails can be fabricated from wood, where the wood is shaped to fit the particular boat or ship. However, due to the large expense of using wood, present-day rub rails, and particularly replacement rub rails, are fabricated from stainless steel, aluminum, rigid and semi-rigid vinyl. Stainless steel rub rails offer the maximum durability and a classy style, where many rigid vinyl rub rails are designed to accept a stainless steel overlap to provide a decorative appearance. However, aluminum and stainless steel are expensive, and sometimes difficult to work with, particularly when installing a replacement rub rail that extends completely around the boat or ship from the bow to the stern.
Accordingly, there is presently a need for an extruded rub rail that can be easily and inexpensively manufactured, and which provides a simple and quick method for attaching the rub rail to the outer surface of the hull of a boat or ship, in which the rub rail can easily be bent around the bow and transom corners, and in which the insert of the rub rail provides a decorative appearance thereto.
It is accordingly an object of the present invention to provide a rub rail for boats and ships which avoids the problems and disadvantages of the prior art devices.
Another object of the present invention is to provide a rub rail including a decorative insert disposed in a recess of a molding trim so that laterally spaced apart free end portions at an uppermost top part of the molding trim partially surround the insert and enclose the insert within the recess of the molding trim to protect the insert.
A further object of the present invention is to provide a rub rail, as described above, in which the molding trim is fabricated from an extruded rigid plastic material, and the insert is fabricated from an extruded flexible or rigid plastic material.
Still another object of the present invention is to provide a rub rail, as described above, in which the insert includes an upper strip-like portion of clear plastic material encapsulating a metalic-like strip therein to provide a metal appearance to the insert, where preferably, the metalic-like strip is fabricated from mylar, metal foils and the like.
Another object of the present invention is to provide a rub rail, as described above, in which the insert has a U-shaped longitudinally extending body including an arcuately shaped outer top bight portion with two spaced apart leg portions extending downwardly from the top bight portion.
Yet another object of the present invention is to provide a rub rail, as described above, in which outer surfaces of the leg portions of the insert are tapered inwardly towards each other in a direction towards free ends of the insert to facilitate the insertion of the insert into the recess of the molding trim.
Yet another object of the present invention is to provide a rub rail, as described above, in which the molding trim of the rub rail is first secured to the hull of the boats and ships, and then the insert is secured to the molding trim either by being snapped transversely into the recess or by being inserted longitudinally through the recess.
And still yet another object of the present invention is to provide a rub rail, as described above, which can be easily and inexpensively manufactured, which provides a simple and quick method for attaching the rub rail to the outer surface of the hull of a boat or ship, and in which the rub rail can easily be bent around the bow and transom corners when being installed.
Briefly, in accordance with the present invention, there is provided a rub rail for boats and ships including an extruded longitudinally extending molding trim fabricated from a rigid plastic material and an extruded longitudinally extending insert fabricated from a flexible plastic material. The molding trim has a longitudinally extending, centrally located recess in an arcuately shaped outer top surface of the molding trim to provide longitudinally extending, laterally spaced apart free end portions at an uppermost top part of said molding trim. The insert has a longitudinally extending, centrally located, arcuately shaped outer top portion. Thus, when the insert is disposed in the recess of the molding trim, the outer top portion of the insert engages undersides of each of the free end portions of the molding trim along a first plane, and the outer top surface of the molding trim, as defined by the free end portions, is disposed along a second plane. The second plane is disposed above the first plane so that the free end portions of the molding trim partially surround the insert to enclose and protect the insert within the recess of the molding trim.
The insert is secured to the molding trim, and the molding trim of the rub rail is secured to the boats and ships.
The insert includes an upper strip-like portion of clear transparent material encapsulating a metalic-like strip therein to provide a metal appearance to the insert. Preferably, the metalic-like strip is fabricated from mylar or metal foils.
The insert has a U-shaped longitudinally extending body so that the outer top portion defines an arcuately shaped outer top bight portion with two spaced apart leg portions extending downwardly from the top bight portion. Notches are provided in inner walls of the free end portions of the molding trim, and shoulders are provided on opposite sides of the insert below the outer top portion, the shoulders being engaged in associated ones of the notches to secure the insert to the molding trim. Outer surfaces of the leg portions of the insert are tapered inwardly towards each other in a direction towards the free ends of the insert to facilitate the insertion of the insert into the recess of the molding trim.